The Joys of Doing Nothing: Why Your Worth Isn't Tied to Your Productivity

Ah, spring!

The time of year when we all collectively emerge from our winter hibernation and soak up as much Vitamin D as our bodies can possibly take. We grab our flip-flops and utilize every lengthening moment of blissful sunshine to be active, head to the patio or just roll in the grass to our heart’s content.

Okay, maybe not that last bit, but you know what I mean.

Spring is when we all wake up. No more lazing around and staying in. There’s too much to do and more hours in the day to do it. Of course, we all deserve to be energized like this and can use the new season as an opportunity to pack our schedules full, but there is something to be said about doing nothing at all whenever we get the chance.

In fact, it’s actually quite important that we start doing nothing more often.

Tuning Into Your Surroundings

The concept of “doing nothing” was first brought to my attention during a therapy session. I had lost my job due to the pandemic and, while my friends and family returned to work, I dealt with the immense guilt and loneliness of sitting at home by applying for jobs and keeping as busy as I could.

My therapist suggested that, during my daily hour-long walk, I opt out of listening to music or audiobooks. He suggested I listen to the sound of the birds and feel the leaves crunch under my feet. Sit on a bench and take a breath.

Although the idea of it made me cringe (what the heck can I possibly accomplish by doing this?) I gave it a shot. Halfway through my walk, I sat on a bench next to a lending library and just….did nothing.

In her book, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, Jenny Odell says, “To do nothing is to hold yourself still so that you can perceive what is actually there.”

And I did. I took in the world around me (a world that had drastically changed) and sat with my feelings. It was refreshing. It was peaceful. And when I stood up to head back home, I heard someone calling out.

An older man was walking towards me, waving and grinning from ear to ear. When he reached me, he said that he was celebrating his 100th birthday that day. His family had painted a “Happy Birthday” sign and placed it on his front lawn.

He was getting visitors all day, but wanted to grab a birthday book from the lending library. We spoke for a few minutes about his 100 years on earth and then I left him to enjoy his day. I passed the massive sign on my way home and, the moment I got into my apartment, I wept for a very, very long time.

Unlearning the Pressures of Productivity

“I consider “doing nothing” both as a kind of deprogramming device and as sustenance for those feeling too disassembled to act meaningfully,” Odell says in her book. For me, I felt new after taking some time to disengage from keeping occupied. I felt totally changed.

The pandemic was the first time in our adult lives that we really had the opportunity to do nothing and boy, did we hate it.

We took on new hobbies (sourdough, anyone?), sweat our butts off during our at-home workouts, FaceTimed with people we hadn’t spoken to in years, and used every opportunity to stay distracted.

“...among knowledge workers, the average workday increased by 48.5 minutes during the early months of the pandemic,” Arthur C. Brooks says in his article How to Embrace Doing Nothing.

Perhaps the lingering effects of such a long period of forced shutdowns has left us wanting to stay busy. Perhaps it’s the constant connection to social media. Or maybe it’s the age-old proverb: idle hands are the devil’s workshop.

In actuality, doing nothing isn’t a matter of laziness or avoidance. Rather, it can be a means of reconnecting with our thoughts — and disconnecting from the infinite scroll of news and content.

Expanding Your Subconscious

According to SCL Health, “When you turn off all distractions, it allows space for your subconscious to expand, ultimately boosting your creativity. When distracted, our mind jumps to the most obvious answers when trying to solve problems.”

Einstein came up with the Theory of Relativity while he was daydreaming, for goodness sake!

I’m not saying it will be easy; in fact, it will probably be very uncomfortable, especially since a lot of us tend to avoid sitting with our own thoughts as much as humanly possible.

So, start small.

Head to the couch in your comfiest lounge clothes, turn on the TV or read a book. Being lazy isn’t rocket science, but it involves allowing yourself to feel comfortable with being still. Baby steps.

Eventually, you can give yourself a few minutes in a space where you feel comfortable and where you can be alone (phone not included). Take deep breaths and see what comes to mind. Unlike meditation, your many thoughts are your friend.

Welcome them and see where they take you. Try focusing on the positive ones where you can. When you’ve had enough, move on. Tell yourself that you’re doing hard work, if it helps. Rinse and repeat.

Like any other skill, it will require practice.

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I was recently reminded of the importance of doing nothing while reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle, and keep going back to this quote to keep my “nothing” muscles healthy and strong.

“Hard work is important. So are play and non-productivity. My worth is tied not to my productivity but to my existence. I am worthy of rest.”

And so are you.